


The second Quarter Quell

by ladybirdwrites



Category: The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:22:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25788775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladybirdwrites/pseuds/ladybirdwrites
Summary: When Haymitch Abernathy hears the premise of the second Quarter Quell, he just can't shake the feeling something bad is about to happen. When he is indeed reaped, his fight for survival starts. In a game full of surprises, Haymitch finds an unexpected ally in the  seemingly rich and clueless girl from district 12...
Relationships: Haymitch Abernathy & Maysilee Donner





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, y'all! I hope you enjoy this story! Just for the record, I made up most of the names, considering they were not given by Suzanne Collins. If you have any questions about who is who, let me know! Thank you for reading!

It was a seemingly normal day for the people of Panem, but the opposite was true. Everyone, including Haymitch Abernathy, was waiting for the moment that would inevitably come: the announcement of the Second Quarter Quell. Or more precisely, what this year’s theme was going to be. It was a quarter quell after all, something ‘special’ always happens during one of those, they made that clear during the first Quarter Quell, when they forced each district to elect their own representatives, instead of holding a lottery. A twist to make the games more appealing.

Haymitch rolled his eyes. He was not worried about the Games. Even with all the tesserae he had applied for, he had never been chosen. Besides, by taking up the tesserae, his younger brother didn’t have to do it. He only had to go through the reaping 2 more times and then he would be too old for it. If Hayden decided he wanted to sign up for tesserae himself after that, he would only have to do that for a few more years as well.

“Haymitch!” Haymitch recognized the voice of Dana. He turned around with a smile on his face, embracing his girlfriend. She looked up at him with her olive eyes, a color that was rare, even in the Seem. “Are you curious for what president Snow has come up with for this year’s Hunger Games? After all it is the Second Quarter Quell.” She said it with a hint of sarcasm hidden behind it and Haymitch smiled. Her humor was exactly what had made him fall in love with this particular girl.

“Not really. I think the Games are stupid. You would think people are more inclined to start a revolution if you kill their kids, but apparently… You want to come over tonight and watch the announcement together? I'm sure mom wouldn't mind."

Dana nodded and smiled at him, before going into another direction to return to her home. It was almost dinner time. Haymitch should return home soon as well.

He was stopped in his tracks by an unusual sight. A girl. One with blond hair and blue eyes. The kind you didn’t see in the Seam. A Merchant. And not just any Merchant. He recognized her. It was Maysilee Donner, the Mayor’s daughter. But what was she doing here, in the part of the district assigned to the less fortunute..

“Maybe you should cover up your hair. People don’t really like your kind around here. You might get attacked.” Haymitch said, slightly annoyed.

“Really, is that so? As far as I know, I haven’t been attacked.” She responded. Hmm, feisty one, Haymitch thought by himself. He smiled.

“Anyways... What do you want. This is not a nice neighborhood for you.”

“Oh really, I hadn’t really noticed.” She rolled her eyes, sarcasm dripping from her every word. “I already have what I want, I’m on my way back.”

“Would you like an escort?” Haymitch sarcastically said, while bowing for the lady. She rolled her eyes at him again, made a sarcastic sound and walked past him without looking back. He watched her as she made her way out of the Seem and he couldn’t help but like the daughter of the Mayor.

* * *

That evening, Haymitch, his parents, Hayden and Dana all sat in front of the TV, not necessarily because they were so interested in the message, but because it was mandatory. It was time for the announcement of the twist for this year’s Quarter Quell.

_People of Panem!_

_50 years ago, the rebels were defeated and our beautiful country was create._

_As a punishment for their crimes against the Capitol, each district must participate in a yearly event: The Hunger Games!_

_This year, to celebrate the 50 th anniversary of Panem, there will be a twist!_

_For this year’s Hunger Games, double the amount of tributes will participate in the Hunger Games! Each district must select two lucky boys and girls to fight for their district!_

_May the odds be ever in your favor!_

The music sounded, but the room was quiet. They knew there would be a twist this year, but double the tributes… Double the chances of Hayden being picked. Haymitch swallowed. He wasn’t the nervous type, but this even threw him off-guard. His mom looked pale.

“Mom? You know it will be fine, right?” he asked, worried about his mother. She too had grown up in the Seam and had seen friends leave for the Hunger Games, never to return, but this was the first year she seemed worried about the Reaping. As if her mother's hart knew something was about to happen.

“Yes, sweety, I know, I just didn’t expect this twist. It will be brutal… So many kids will die.” Haymitch grabbed his mother’s hand, squeezing it in an attempt to comfort her, as her voice died out. She swallowed, still looking scared.

There were so many kids in the district. What was the change either he, Hayden or Dana would be reaped. Almost non-existent. Right? In three weeks they would find out. Haymitch, still holding his mother’s hand, grabbed Dana’s hand as well and shared a concerned look with her. He was always confident, like he knew he wouldn’t be reaped. But this year was different… Why did he have such an awry feeling?


	2. The reaping

Today was the day of the Reaping. Today was the day Haymitch Abernathy would find out if he was right and something bad was indeed about to happen, or if he was just growing paranoid.

Haymitch was helping his little brother look presentable for the Reaping. After all, it was going to be a big one. Dana should be arriving soon to join the two of them on their way to the square where the reaping would be held. Haymitch tucked in Hayden’s shirt, giving him one final pleased look, before turning his attention to himself. Once he was done, Hayden had left the room and his place was taken by his mother, who was patiently waiting for him to finish.

“You look very handsome, Haymitch.” His mother’s voice sounded soft, filled with concern and a hundred unsaid words. She was suffering, but Haymitch knew she would never share that burden with her kids. Whatever she was thinking in this moment, it would remain a secret for eternity.

“Thank you, mom. Look I know that you’re worried, but I’m sure it’ll be fine. We have never been reaped before and there are so many kids… It won’t be any of us.” Haymitch wanted to believe his own words, but he knew better. His mother knew too. Growing up in the Seam just gave you the ability to feel trouble coming. You never knew what form it would take or when it would strike, but you knew it was coming and you prepared yourself.

“Don’t lie to me, Haymitch. You’re feeling it too. Something is about to go down.” His mother visibly swallowed away her tears, still putting up a brave face.

“If Hayden get’s reaped, I’ll volunteer. You know that, right?” His mom nodded. She knew, but it didn’t mean she liked it. She would understand if Haymitch wouldn’t take his brother’s place and she wouldn’t hold it above his head, but Haymitch was just not that kind of person. He wanted to protect everyone. Always.

His mother wrapped her arms around him and Haymitch allowed himself to feel like a small child again, even if it was just for a few moments. He and his mom had reached an understanding. Both of them would do anything in their power to protect their family and Haymitch swore to himself then and there that he would never stop fighting, regardless of what was about to happen.

“Dana has arrived.” His mother said, finally breaking up the hug and leaving him once again to his thoughts. Haymitch took a deep breath, hiding his worries behind a smile, before welcoming his girlfriend.

The three of them made their way towards the square, holding each other’s hands. The vibe in district twelve was tense. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who was exceptionally worried for this years Games. As usual, the peacemakers pricked in his finger, leaving a bloody fingerprint on a piece of paper, before separating the three of them so they could stand with their own gender and age.

Haymitch looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Dana or Hayden. Instead, he saw Maysilee, who was holding the hands of the two girls next to her. One looked like an exact copy of her, while the other, even though she could still pass as her sister, looked different from Maysilee and her twin sister. Maysilee was obviously their strength and her light was holding up her two companions, her friend in particular. Haymitch noticed a strange pin on Maysilee dress, but he didn’t pay much attention to it. He wondered what it meant. Finally, he caught the eye of the person he had been looking for all along and shot her an assuring smile. Dana smiled back, relieved to see him, but still worried. It was about to begin. Peacemakers were calling for the square to be quite and a lady from the capitol made her way on stage.

“Welcome, welcome, ladies and Gentlemen! Today, we will choose the 48 brave tributes who will fight in the Arena not only for their lives, but also for their districts, for the honor of winning the Second Quarter Quell!”

The capitol lady turned around, facing one of the big screens set up all around the square, excitedly awaiting the reveal of the capital propaganda promo they showed each year. The video started playing, showing footage of the last rebellion, the skulls buried in the ashes, ending with footage from the previous Hunger Games, accompanied by a voice-over, telling the story of Panem and why the Hunger Games were created. Haymitch rolled with his eyes. Complete and utter bullshit.

“And now it is time to select our two brave boys and girls who will fight in the arena! Ladies first, right?” She tried to make it sound like a joke, hoping to get some kind of reaction from the audience. But the people from district twelve were just not having it.

The lady made a dramatic movement with her hand, hanging over the bowl, before making some kind of pouty face and pulling one of the cards from the bowl. “Maysilee Donner!”

Haymitch was shocked. Maysilee. The Mayor’s daughter. The one he had seen in the Seam, who seemed so unfazed by the danger she might have put herself in. He looked at the big screen, seeing her embrace her friend with a shocked look on his face. The capitol lady urged her to come forward. Maysilee slowly made her way out of the crowd. She didn’t look even a little scared, holding her back straight and her chin up, walking towards the podium with pride. She was the definition of empowerment.

“Welcome, dear, welcome!”, the lady screamed, while presenting Maysilee to the public in district 12 and in the capitol. “Now, dear, how are you feeling? Excited? Scared?” The lady looked in a weird way at Maysilee, fully prepared to play shrink in front of thousands of people.

“I’m just surprised, I guess. I’ll just make the best of it.” She sounded so confident, not letting her fears slip from the most hidden parts of her soul. She truly was brave. The capitol lady directed her to a spot near the edge of the podium before making her way back towards the bowl with names. She repeated the same process she had done with Maysilee, full of drama and entertainment, before pulling out the name of the last female tribute. “Aster Maybree!”

A girl, who he recognized as she was in the same year as Hayden, started crying at the sound of her name. She was just fourteen. Haymitch looked over at his brother, trying to figure out what he was going through finding out his classmate was reaped. As far as Haymitch knew, Aster and Hayden weren’t particularly close, but it must still be a shock.

Still crying, Aster made her way towards the podium, where she was being interviewed by the capitol lady, who urged her to be happy to have the ‘honor’ of representing district 12 during the Second Quarter Quell, but Aster, unsurprisingly, wasn’t having it. Eventually, the lady just gave up trying to get a reaction from Aster and just placed her next to Maysilee, who immediately started comforting the girl. She truly was a better person than he would ever be. Haymitch looked over at Dana, who gave him a relieved smile. Just two more years and this years circus would be over for him.

“Alright, now that our two brave ladies have been chosen, it is time to choose the two brave gentlemen who will fight alongside these ladies in the 50th Hunger Games!” She made her way towards to bowl with the male children from district twelve, looking into the camera with a flirting look before very dramatically pulling out the name of the first boy: “Thomas O’Donnell!”

Haymitch looked up, surprised. Thomas O’Donnell, who just like Aster and him came from the Seam, lived just a few houses away from his. His father was good friends with Haymitch’ father, although the boys never really bonded, despite being the same age. Thomas looked defeated as he walked towards the podium. It seemed like he had already accepted that he was going to die and it showed during his interview, as it was even shorter than Aster’s. One more tribute needed to be reaped. This had been a reaping full of surprises. First, the mayor’s daughter, second, his brother’s classmate and now practically their neighbor. He felt Dana’s gaze, burning with worries, but he couldn’t bring himself to face her. His gut feeling told him that today wasn’t finished with throwing surprises at him. He wasn’t wrong. And thus he wasn’t surprised when he heard the name of the final tribute: “Haymitch Abernathy!”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	3. Saying goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm sorry for the late update, but life has been hectic! I really hope you enjoy. Unfortunatly, I don't know when the next chapter will come, but I should have more time to write next week. Also if there is something I can do to improve my writing/story, please let me know. And if you want me to read one of your stories (if you have one) just let me know as well!

The moment he heard his name, Haymitch went into survival mode. He didn’t even look at Hayden or Dana. He had just shared a quick glance with his mother. He had seen how a single tear rolled of her face. His dad was holding her hand and it appeared that even in this horrible moment, his mother was still putting up a brave face for the sake of their family.

Haymitch had refused to answer any of the capitol lady’s questions, instead shooting her a cold look explaining all she needed to know. To her credit, she did get the hint and allowed him to walk towards the spot next to Thomas, where she forced everyone to shake each other’s hand, as if they were friends, instead of just a few weeks away from murdering each other for the single sake of entertaining president Snow and the rest of the capitol.

Him and Maysilee had also shared a look, full of understanding and respect for each other. He knew she remembered him too and the fact that he had tried to help her, in his own dumb way. He knew Maysilee would take that with her in the arena and would spare his life. Just once. Because than they would be even in her eyes. Although for him, it would me that he was in her favor and in retaliation, he would probably help her as well.

Haymitch was waiting for the arrival of his family for the final goodbye before he had to catch the train to the capitol. He was sitting in one of the nicely decorated chairs in the mansion, feeling unusually calm. A soft knock sounded on the door and one of the peacemakers entered with his family in tow.

“You have five minutes” the guard said, before leaving and closing the door again, leaving him with his parents, his younger brother and his girlfriend.

Dana threw herself in his arms, already having red eyes from all the crying. Thick tears were still running down her cheeks and she was breathing in an unruly manner. He hugged her tight and promised her it’ll be ok, as he was going to do his best to win the games and come home. To her. He promised her that he would come back. He knew he had the skill to do so and frankly, he wasn’t ready to die yet. Dana appeared to be a bit comforted by his words, her sobbing calming down. She gave him a final squeeze before stepping aside and allowing the next person in line to take her place.

That person was his younger brother, Hayden, who seemed at the verge of tears, but refused to let them out, instead stubbornly holding on to the little sprinkle of hope that Haymitch would win and return home. Even in a moment as grim as this one, seeing the cheer determination and hope on his little brother’s face, made Haymitch warm inside. He smiled a little. Haymitch squeezed his brother tight, urging him to take care of their mother and be as much of a support for her as he could be. He made his brother promise him that he would not forget about himself and allow himself to feel sometimes. Hayden being emotional didn’t make him any less able to help their mother as and emotionless Hayden. His brother, in retaliation, asked Haymitch to come home. After a short while of deliberation inside his head, Haymitch also asked Hayden to keep an eye on Dana, making sure that she didn’t forget to care for herself while worrying for him. With a short nod, his brother confirmed that he would do all he was asked and Haymitch knew he would keep that promise. Hayden was his brother after all.

His father just silently hugged him, holding him at a distance and looking him in the eye. His eyes were filled with pride and believe. Haymitch felt encouraged by how much his father believed in him. He took a moment to cherish that feeling, before giving his father a tight squeeze. His father slowly closed his eyes, a small grin appearing on his face. The little squeeze had been filled with promises and his father would intent Haymitch to keep those promises. And Haymitch had every intent to keep them.

Lastly, his mother took him in a final, motherly hug. She whispered in his ears that she was certain that he would win, because after all, he was _her_ smart boy. She told him how he had always been too smart for this world and reminded him that everything has a weakness, including the Capitol, his fellow tributes and even the Arena. All he had to do was find that weakness and take advantage of it. She knew he would be able to do that. And she knew that when he found that weakness, the games would be over and her boy would come home again.

The five minutes past way to soon and Haymitch felt his eyes tear up as the four of them left the room, leaving him once again to himself and his thoughts. As he waited for his departure to the capitol, Haymitch promised himself he would never stop fighting and to remember the words of his mother and the silent approval of his father. He had a family to come home to, and he was going to fight to come back to them. Till the day he died!

* * *


End file.
